University Study: Common Garden Weed Destroys Cancer Cells

Back in 2009, a group of Canadian researchers from the University of Windsor in Ontario started investigating a common weed as a potential cure for cancer, and the results are more than amazing.

It all started when an oncologist came across something quite interesting with some cancer patients. Believe it or not, the plant we are talking about is the common dandelion!

A post-doctoral fellow at the University of Windsor named Pamela Ovadje has done an extensive work on the topic. She dealt with the anti-cancer properties of dandelion and similar extracts.

“We had information from an oncologist, a collaborator here in Windsor, who had patients that showed improvement after taking dandelion root tea. And so, with a phone call, we decided to start studying what was in this tea that made patients respond to it, so we started digging up dandelions.”

She was quite suspicious in the beginning, but not because it was an all-natural source. “I figured dandelions are everywhere, and if there was something to it, people would have found this out already, “ she explained.

We should be glad to hear that the researchers have started conducting studies on dandelion root extract and its effects on cancer, as the results are astonishing.

“Since the commencement of this project, we have been able to successfully assess the effect of a simple water extract of dandelion root in various human cancer cell types in the lab and we have observed its effectiveness against human T-cell leukemia, chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, and pancreatic and colon cancers, with no toxicity to non-cancer cells. Furthermore, these efficacy studies have been confirmed in animal models (mice) that have been transplanted with human colon cancer cells.”

Dandelion root extract was approved for human trials in February 2015. Now, it is in Phase 1 trials for end-stage blood-related cancers, such as leukemia and lymphoma.

Dr. Siyaram Pandey, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Windsor and principal research investigator for the project, dandelion root extract has quite a “good potential” to cause a death of cancer cells.

How Does it Work?

This extract causes cancer cells to go through apoptosis, a natural cell process where a cell activates an intracellular death program because it isn`t needed anymore. In brief, dandelion root extract causes the cancer cell to “commit suicide” without affecting the healthy ones.

Two cells perform apoptosis which is far better than chemotherapy drugs which kill one healthy cell for every 5 to 10 cancer cell, the dandelion extract.

It is important to mention that the concentration of this extract is much higher than the one which is currently available. Even though trials are still underway, this extract may be the future of cancer treatment!